Once a paper is accepted by a journal's editor(s) it will be sent to Cambridge University Press to be prepared for publication. Efficiency, accuracy and quality are at the heart of this process. Authors will have access to a dedicated content manager, who will be available to answer questions and offer support as their article progresses through the steps towards publication.

Our processes are streamlined throughout, as we recognise the importance of making sure papers reach the academic community rapidly and with minimal fuss. However, at all stages we take care to offer an attentive service that matches the requirements of the material and does not make any compromises on quality.

Preparing for production

Many journals will ask their authors to prepare a final version of their manuscript according to that journal's particular style before beginning the production process. At this stage it is also important to ensure every element of the paper required by the journal is in place (e.g, abstract, keywords, acknowledgements, author details, high-resolution images, figure place markers, captions, supplementary material etc.). You may wish to consult some of our guides as you prepare your manuscript for production:

• How to write an effective abstract/select keywords
• Cambridge Journals Artwork Guide
• Supplementary material information
• Seeking permission to use copyrighted material
• LaTex

The production process

The exact production workflow for each journal will vary to match its specific requirements. We encourage authors to consult the journal's editor(s) for precise guidance on the process their paper will follow. The elements of a typical production cycle are outlined below:

A substantial number of Cambridge journals offer online publication ahead of publication in an issue using the Cambridge FirstView model. Articles are published in final form, paginated independently, fully citable with an assigned digital object identifier (DOI) and made available to the journal's readers. They are later allocated to an issue of the journal by the editorial office and repaginated accordingly.

Typically we work to a 6 to 8 week production schedule for FirstView articles, while the timetable for a journal operating an issue-based production workflow will depend on the scheduled publication dates of forthcoming issues. 

Some journals also publish accepted manuscripts on Cambridge Core when articles enter the production cycle. This allows articles to be read and cited more quickly. These accepted manuscripts will eventually be replaced with the final copyedited and typeset Version of Record, with no action needed on your part. For more information, see our journal production FAQs. 

Checking your article proof

Before publication, you will receive an email with a PDF of your proof or a web link to a proof. The email will include guidance on checking your article and returning your corrections. The proof may include queries from the copyeditor (if these were not addressed during the copyediting phase) or the typesetter. Please note that this process is intended for the correction of typographical errors and is not an opportunity to make substantial changes to the text.

For the majority of journals, we ask that you mark your corrections electronically by annotating the PDF. Instructions for commenting on PDFs can be found here.

Some journals ask for corrections to be submitted via an online correction tool. Instructions for using the tool can be found on the correction tool’s home page.

We generally require your corrections to be returned within 2 to 4 working days. Delays at this stage are one of the most common reasons for delayed publication.

Author publishing agreements

Before Cambridge can publish a journal article, or any other journal content type, we need a signed author publishing agreement. For most of our journals, this will be a licence to publish agreement, but for some it will be a transfer of copyright agreement. To find out which form a specific journal uses, please check the journal’s homepage for information about author publishing agreements.

How you receive the relevant form(s) will depend on the journal in which you are due to publish. In some cases the corresponding author will be sent a link to the form(s), as well as instructions for completion and return. In addition to defining copyright terms, this form will request a confirmation of the article's originality, the declaration of any conflicts of interest and assurance that permission has been granted for the publication of any third party material.

Please read the form carefully, as it explains the re-use terms surrounding which versions of your article you may post on your own website, departmental or institutional repositories, and subject-specific repositories like PubMed Central or ArXiV.

Some journals use Ironclad, a digital contract management platform, to manage author publishing agreements. If you receive an email from “Cambridge University Press via Ironclad” (noreply@mg.ironcladapp.com) please follow the instructions and complete an Information Request Form (IRF). The information submitted via the IRF will determine the terms and conditions under which the article will be published. Failure to provide the information promptly may result in publication delays. Frequently asked questions about Ironclad can be found here.

Further information

We have compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help authors with more detailed questions related to the production of their paper with Cambridge University Press. We would encourage authors to contact their journal's editor(s) directly with any specific queries not covered here.